Two burnt to death in taxi

Teacher and friend found unconscious earlier but couldn’t be saved

NIBONG TEBAL: A teacher, who drove a taxi during his spare time, was found burnt to death in the vehicle together with a friend.

The bodies of G. Saravanan, 28, and technician T. Solomon, 26, were charred beyond recognition inside the taxi on the mainlandbound side of the second Penang bridge.

Earlier, a patrolling unit member of the bridge spotted Saravanan and his friend lying unconscious at the front seats at 8.10am yesterday. He tried to wake them up but could not. Smoke was billowing from the engine then.

The fire spread quickly and razed the car. Taxi driver A. Gopal Krishnan, 64, said his son Saravanan had earlier attended a dinner with a friend on Penang island.

“I was shocked when police came to my house to inform me about his death.

“He was a filial son. He had been driving my taxi during the school holidays and weekends so that he would have savings for the future,” he said.

His son, who was still a bachelor, loved the family very much, he said. “We will miss him,” he sobbed.

South Seberang Prai OCPD Supt Shafee Abdul Samad said a patrolling unit tried in vain to put out the fire.

“The car burst into flames. The unit member then alerted police and the Fire and Rescue Department.

“Investigation is still ongoing as to the cause of the fire,” he added.

Fatal blaze: Firemen removing the bodies from the burnt taxi on the mainland-bound side of the second Penang bridge. The fire claimed the lives of Saravanan and Solomon (inset from left).